The present invention relates generally to optical device mounts for use in connection with firearms and assault weapons. More specifically, the present invention relates to an accessory module that is received between an optical device and a mounting interface, wherein the accessory module includes integrated electronics, such as visible lights, infrared emitters, laser sighting devices, range finders, etc.
In the general field of combat and commercial weaponry, numerous add-on enhancements have become available for attachment to standard firearms thereby significantly upgrading the capability of the firearm. One area within the broad scope of available firearms that is of particular interest is the M16/M4 weapon system typically utilized in military or combat settings. Generally, the M16/M4 weapon includes a lower receiver, an upper receiver, a butt stock extending rearwardly from the upper and lower receivers and a barrel that is attached to the front of the upper receiver and extends in a forward direction. The barrel is held in position on the front of the upper receiver by a barrel nut that is threaded onto a barrel mount located on the front of the upper receiver. Most new models of the M16/M4 weapons also include a dovetail rail interface integrally formed along the top of the upper receiver. This interface rail provides a convenient mounting point for many of the available accessories for use with the M16/M4 firearm such as scopes, sighting devices, lasers and directed fire devices. Since this rail extends only along the upper receiver the interface is limited in length to the length of the receiver. The difficulty is that many military personnel have multiple sighting devices, in addition to a variety of lighting devices, accessory handgrips, etc. that could also be attached to the weapon for enhanced use of the weapon. In view of the broad range of add on accessories, there is often not enough space on the upper receiver to accommodate all of the accessories that the user may desire to use.
In an attempt to overcome the space limitations, various methods and means have been developed for interfacing add-on enhancements to firearms. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,871 discloses a quickly detachable interface means for modular enhancements. This allows accessories to be quickly attached or detached from the weapon as various needs arise. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,806 discloses a universal receiver sleeve having an upper interface portion with standard, universal dimensions and having a lower interface portion specific to a particular firearm. This sleeve provides additional rail space on the weapon to accommodate additional accessories. Another interface means is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,650 where an extended rigid interface frame with upper and lower rails is joined to a firearm receiver and extends forward about the firearm's barrel to a head assembly replacing the firearm's normal front sight. A weaver type interface return portion is provided below the barrel from the head assembly to the receiver. The distal end of the extended rigid frame receiver sleeve terminates in a front sight housing, which connects the upper and lower rails and provides an integrated space for advanced laser and sensor components, as well as the standard front sight bead. By locating the laser and lighting devices in this housing, they are taken off of the rail, which can now be used for other devices.
Despite the space limitations, there is an ever growing spectrum of available accessories relating to optics for sighting targets. There are many different types of optics for the many different and varied types of combat that a soldier may face. For example, there are high power optics for snipers and there are low power red dot optics for close combat. There are also combination optics, such as the Trijicon® ACOG® optic, which includes an optic with a smaller degree of magnification (1×-4×) in combination with a red dot reticule. In any event, each of these optics must be mounted to the dovetail rail using some type of mounting interface.
In addition to optical sighting devices, lights and laser are another category of accessories employed in conjunction with firearms. These types of accessories are typically mounted on the hand guards of the weapon on the sides or on the top of the hand guard toward the front sight. Often, since one of the accessories used on the upper rail is an optical sight, most other accessories end up blocking the sight when mounted on the upper rail. Further, each of these additional accessories also takes up valuable space on the available dovetail rails and limits the overall number of possible accessories that can be mounted thereto. As a result, soldiers often have to make choices about which types of accessories they will mount for particular missions because all of the desired accessories will simply not fit onto the available rail space on the weapon.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for novel mounting systems which will integrate different accessories so that they can be located in a single position on the rail system and thus reduces the amount of space required for mounting them onto the weapon.